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  Another One Bites the Dust August 13th, 2009 Posted by Hunter Wilson

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  The day after we published our "Two Sides of 5th Street" article, Carolina Nightlife learned that Cans Bar, another 5th Street address and once a downtown hotspot, is for sale. No doubt this comes in the face of crushing competition from the Epicenter (Whisky River in particular in my opinion). The sale is unsurprising, considering that Can has been basically dead since the Epicenter opened last year - I visited on a recent Saturday night, and what had once been a shoulder to shoulder club scene had become several middle-aged guys sitting around shooting pool.

  Rumor is that it is not only Cans Bar itself that is for sale - the entire building that houses Cans, Crave Dessert Bar, several other businesses and 30 or so parking spaces is on the block for $4.6 million. This gives me some hope that an enterprising developer could acquire the space and turn it into something really exciting. There are plenty of nearby customers that live at Camden Cotton Mills, Post Uptown and Post Gateway, so I think an attractive nightlife option that didn't require a walk all the way across town could do well. Ideally, I'd love to see someone buy Cans as well as the vacant parking lot across the street - currently home only to a late-night purveyor of surprisingly delicious pizza. By developing both properties simultaneously, the area could be built up into a destination location with several options and some staying power.

  Does anyone else think this would work, or should uptown nightlife be left to more centrally located Tryon Street bars?

  Also, keep checking back with us for several more planned articles about the Epicenter's effect on Charlotte's uptown nightlife scene.

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  Hunter Wilson

  Owner, CarolinaNightlife.com1 Posts

  Charles is the Executive Director of Carolina Nightlife and very involved in the nightlife industry in NC and SC. He has been working with venues of all sizes, different brands and products, and countless events across NC and SC for over 8 years.